Ronald Koeman praised Frenkie de Jong for improving the attacking aspect of his game after chipping in with another goal and an assist in Barcelona's 2-0 win over Elche.
The Netherlands international profited from a Diego Gonzalez error to give Barca a 39th-minute lead and crossed for substitute Riqui Puig to score a late second in Sunday's LaLiga clash.
De Jong now has three goals and two assists in his last six games in all competitions, while his five LaLiga goals in 18 months at Camp Nou is one more than he managed in five seasons in the Eredivisie.
He also contested more duels (11) than any other Barca player at Estadio Martinez Valero and no visiting player intercepted the ball more often (twice).
But it is the attacking side of De Jong's game that most pleased head coach Koeman, who wants his midfielders to take the goalscoring burden off the forward line.
"The three forwards aren't enough; we need the midfielders to score too," Koeman said. "It's good that he's scoring and assisting.
"He's always improving. We want the midfielders to get into the box and get up there."
Fellow midfielder Puig followed that advice by getting on the end of De Jong's cross and heading past Edgar Badia from his seventh touch after being introduced from the bench.
It was the academy graduate's first goal at senior level but he admitted to being disappointed by his lack of playing time this term, having made only one start in all competitions.
"I'm having quite a difficult season because I'm not used to playing so little," Puig told Movistar.
"But I'm getting stronger mentally. I'm happy with the team's hard work and how my team-mates are helping me."
Victory for Barcelona was their fourth in a row in the league, three of those without conceding, as they moved up to third place.
The Catalan giants have not conceded in any of their last nine LaLiga games against Elche, meanwhile, which is their best such run against a single opponent in the competition.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen produced a big save to deny Emiliano Rigoni with Barca 1-0 up and Koeman was grateful for his compatriot's shot-stopping ability.
"They didn't have many chances - they only had one and it came from a big mistake from our defence," Koeman said. "But Ter Stegen was very good in the one-on-one.
"Luckily we have a good goalkeeper, because they could've equalised at that point.
"Defensively, apart from that mistake, we did well. The best thing about today was our pressing and our performance without the ball. We deserved to win.
"I'm very happy with how we won. We've had lots of matches in the last few days and we've kept focus.
"We were better than our opponents. We were patient. We won possession. It was difficult to score because they had lots of men behind the ball. But we pressed well."
Barcelona return to action on Wednesday with a trip to Rayo Vallecano in the last 16 of the Copa del Rey.
Napoli 2-0 Monza: Politano and Kvaratskhelia propel hosts to Serie A summit
Napoli moved top of Serie A following a routine 2-0 win over Monza at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
First-half goals from Matteo Politano and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia did the trick for Antonio Conte's side, who leapfrogged Juventus to the summit of the table.
The hosts broke through in the 22nd minute as Politano rounded off a strong run by drilling a low shot beyond Stefano Turati in the Monza goal.
The visitors were then victims of their own downfall as Napoli doubled their lead 11 minutes later.
Turati pass out from the back went straight to Frank Anguissa, who then combined with Scott McTominay to set up Kvaratskhelia to volley home.
Though Monza improved in the second half, they were unable to truly trouble Napoli, who held out for the three points and their fourth clean sheet of the campaign.
Data Debrief: Politano matches Zapata and Dybala
Napoli are back at the Serie A summit for the first time since the final day of the Scudetto-winning season of 2022-23.
Politano got the ball rolling as he became one of only three players to score in each of the last 10 Serie A seasons, along with Duvan Zapata and Paulo Dybala.
Kvaratskhelia doubled the lead with what was his fifth direct goal involvement (three goals, two assists) of the campaign, a tally only bettered by AC Milan's Christian Pulisic (six).
The Partenopei have now gone 388 minutes without conceding a goal, and have recorded three successive clean sheets in Serie A for the first time since February 2023.
Jamaica Football Federation supports referees' strike over safety concerns in DaCosta and Manning Cup competitions
The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) has announced its full support for the referees who took strike action over the weekend, leading to the cancellation of all DaCosta Cup and Manning Cup schoolboy football matches. The referees' strike, which stemmed from safety concerns, has prompted the JFF to back their decision not to officiate until their safety can be guaranteed.
In a statement released on Sunday, the JFF emphasized the importance of referees in football development and stressed the need for their safety while performing their duties.
"The Jamaica Football Federation stands in solidarity and empathizes with the referees in the ongoing 2024 season of ISSA Schoolboy Football. The referees should feel safe when performing their duties, and their decisions on the field should be respected," said JFF General Secretary Dennis Chung.
"The referees are an integral part of football development, and they should not feel threatened in any way when performing their duties. The JFF supports the decision for them not to participate in any ISSA Schoolboy Football matches until they can be assured of their safety. Any further incidents will have more consequential action," Chung added.
The JFF also commended the Jamaica Football Referees Association (JFRA) for their work in ensuring the professionalism and integrity of referees across the country and extended well wishes for their upcoming assignments.
The strike action by referees was triggered by two recent incidents in the DaCosta Cup competition. In one case, a referee was allegedly physically assaulted by a Dinthill Technical player after a match against McGrath High, leading to disciplinary action by ISSA. Two Dinthill players, Maalick Whyte and Shamair Hutchinson, have been banned from participating in ISSA competitions for one year, while Tyrese Gowe received a three-match suspension. The school has been placed on a three-year probation.
In a separate incident, assistant referee Richard Ball was allegedly struck by a missile thrown by a spectator during a Zone A DaCosta Cup match between Maldon High and Cornwall College on September 14.
The referees' strike prompted ISSA to engage in discussions with the JFRA in hopes of reaching an agreement. While games over the weekend were canceled, referees are set to resume duties on Monday, September 30. ISSA has committed to addressing the referees' concerns related to safety and security at matches and reviewing penalties for those who verbally or physically abuse match officials.
"We are disappointed that a conciliatory position could not have been arrived at that would allow today’s games to be played, but look forward to a quick and smooth resumption on Monday, September 30, 2024," ISSA said in a statement.
As matches are set to resume, ISSA and the JFF will work together to ensure the safety and well-being of referees, players, and spectators as the schoolboy football season continues.
Ipswich have 'so many positives to take' from Villa draw - McKenna
Kieran McKenna believes Ipswich Town can take "so many positives" from their 2-2 draw against Aston Villa.
The Tractor Boys, who are back in the Premier League after 22 years away, extended their unbeaten league streak to four matches, after Liam Delap's strike secured a share of the spoils at Portman Road.
Delap had given Ipswich an eighth-minute lead, but goals from Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins saw Villa turn the match on its head just after the half-hour mark.
Nevertheless, the hosts dug deep with Delap levelling in the 72nd minute to secure their fourth successive draw, which moves them out of the relegation zone to 15th place.
And McKenna was thrilled with the character his players demonstrated.
"I think we created the better chances in the game, but when you come back from 2-1 down, a point is a good result," he said. "The team, at 2-1 down, never dropped their heads, and we were always competitive in the game.
"I thought the game had a really good flow to it with two good sides. To be competing with a team who have been together for three years with a top manager, I think there are so many positives to take for us.
"Four games unbeaten doesn't come easily in the Premier League. It is a fantastic first step, and we still feel there is a lot of improvement to come."
Villa missed the chance to move level on points with leaders Liverpool and, though disappointed with the result, Unai Emery acknowledged it was an accurate reflection on the balance of play.
"We controlled the first half better than the second half," he said. "We started the first half very well; we came back, and we controlled the game really well. But in the second half, they were pushing.
"We had our chances, but we conceded more than normal, and we didn't control things like we did in the first half. I am not happy with the point, but I have to accept it because I think it is fair."
"They always put a lot of pressure on us, and we couldn't really implement our game plan," Watkins added. "We didn't get it right in the final third. We could have been more ruthless - myself included.
"They kept putting pressure on us. They're here at home; they made runs in behind and we grinded the result out in the end."
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